


Opportunity

by Automode



Category: A3! (Video Game)
Genre: First Meetings, Gen, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Pre-Canon
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-03
Updated: 2020-12-03
Packaged: 2021-03-09 22:35:23
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,514
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27863921
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Automode/pseuds/Automode
Summary: “So if I went with you I’d get to learn, I’d get shelter and I’d get a job.” It still sounds too good to be true. He may have admitted it won’t be easy but no way of someone like himself attaining those things is. “You’re lying or there’s some catch.”OrA take on April being recruited by August.Posted for Gekkagumi Week Day Two: April
Kudos: 20





	Opportunity

**Author's Note:**

> Liber haven't told us how April became April yet so I'll make up my own backstory for him.

Over the fence and down the hill nearing the highway, just a little bit more to go until he’s safe; no one from the markets can ever be bothered chasing him this far, if they even notice he’s taken anything in the first place. His fingers are nimble and as long as they don’t notice his clothes are a bit torn up or that his hair’s not been cut in a while, he doesn’t attract any attention. It’s hard to keep perfectly presentable out here but the showers at the park are easy enough to get to when he needs them and in a crowd it’s not hard to pick the occasional jacket off the racks at stalls without being noticed. He’s getting pretty good at that in general really, pick pocketing is strangely easy once you get the knack for it.

Today it’s just food he’s taken, he’s gotten the hang of this whole homeless thing over the past few months. The first lesson had been the most important - trust no one. Anyone with a smile pretending that they can help you out is lying. The second lesson - don’t play nice yourself. To a store or stall owner while you’re trying to fit in with the crowd? Sure but that’s the only time. You can’t show weakness, you can’t be nice, you can’t look too homeless or you won’t be able to get what you need easily but you can’t look to well dressed or you’ll be seen as a target by others. Sleep light, wake up at any sound, always be prepared to defend what you have. Luckily, he’s smart. After a slip up right after running away he’d hung back, observed and learned from others, careful not to make the same mistake ever again.

Sitting down beside the bush where he’s hidden his bag, he pulls his spoils from his pocket. Better than any food he’d been served when living back at home. The longer he’s been out here the more he’s begun to resent the home he left. Can it really even be called a home if he feels more at ease on the streets? He’d had to wise up fast to life here but he’d had to wise up to a lot of things quickly back there too. That woman, the way she’d treated him… he can’t even look others in the eyes. Every time he passes a lady in a crowd with hair or clothes like hers he turns and walks the other way. Not that she ever would come to find him, but he refuses to go back.

Even the whiff of a similar perfume to what she would wear has him feeling like he’s been doused in ice cold water and his mind spirals back to memories of her. That chilling, distain filled voice she’d use when addressing him in front of her men and the fake sweet one she would use to suck up to them. Everything she’d done had been shallow, heartless and self-centred. Things are better since he left. He doesn’t need to put himself through that again. Out here he may be unwanted but he’s unwanted by choice.

What a stupid thing to be thinking about when he’s got a meal in his hands. Huffing to himself as if it’s going to just dispel those thoughts, he changes his attention back to his food. Still warm, it’s definitely freshly made.

“Mind if I join you~?” The voice startles him, whipping his head around, his eyes narrow. He hadn’t heard anyone approaching. “You look a bit lonely all by yourself.”

He’s not. Being alone is great. Spotting the source of the voice, his suspicions about its owner rise. He’s taller than him and older for sure but he’s dressed too nicely to be living on the streets like he is. Unless he’s really got the hang of how to hack things out here, but clothes like that? Only men with wallets worth taking wear those, he can’t be homeless too unless he’s new. What kind of new guy just wanders up to some kid with a big smile as if he’s going to be accepted? Idiot. Well he’ll just have to learn the hard way. He isn’t interested in helping anyone and he’s not falling for anyone trying to trick or take advantage of him.

“I’m fine.” Keeping an eye on him, he makes sure he doesn’t try anything. There’s no way he could stand a chance against someone this much bigger than him and the fact he’d approached so quietly suggests he’s dangerous. “I like being alone so just leave, I’ve got nothing worth anything anyway.”

Reaching for his bag he tries not to make it obvious that he’s preparing to make a run for it.

“That’s a lie!” He says, still smiling. Weirdo. “I’ve been watching you for a couple of weeks, you’ve really got it all figured out. Ah! Don’t be scared of me I’m not here to take anything I just wanted to talk. I’ve got an offer you might like.”

_Oh,_ so it’s that kind of thing then. Gross.

“Find someone more desperate.” Seriously, what the fuck? He knew something had to be up about a guy like this. Just because he’s younger and prettier than the guys who try to pick up street kids doesn’t mean he’s any better than them then huh? “Lotsa kids around here who’ll do anything for a proper meal.”

The guy bursts out laughing, surprise on his features as he very rudely, decides to sit down on the long grass right beside him.

“It’s nothing like that, I’m offended you’d even think that!” Reaching to his eye as though he’s wiping a tear the guy takes his time before extending that same hand in greeting. “They call me August, nice to meet you.”

“Weird name.” That’s an English month name isn’t it? He learnt those in school. “Whatever I don’t care. If you’re not here for that then what is it?”

Taking a moment to stare off into the distance, a contemplative expression forms on August’s features. He can’t let himself trust the guy at all and every little thing about him is suspect. He’s curious though, he has to admit that, but not so curious that he’d be stupid enough to trust some weird stranger who calls himself a month in a different language.

“You’re too cautious to just believe me. I get that but, that’s a useful skill too.” Turning to look back at him a smile forms on his features again. “There’s a place that could really use someone like you, you’re too smart to keep just scraping by out here. Strong too, it’s impressive. The picked me up for the same reasons, gave me a reason to live and a roof over my head.”

Some kind of gang then huh? Well that hadn’t been out of the question as a choice for his future when he’d run away, but usually their members are nothing like this guy. He seems more like the kind of guy who’d be sent out to convince kids to come back with him, never to be seen nor heard of again.

“Who’s they?” Flattery won’t get him anywhere. It’ll take a lot for him to even remotely trust this guy.

“An Organisation.” Definitely a gang. “I can’t say much about what we do unless you agree to join, I don’t think? But yeah! You’d be a great fit. They like taking in kids around your age, what are you 11? You guys train up well and they can send you out on jobs faster.”

“Twelve. You’re wasting your time.” Giving up on the idea of the guy being actively dangerous, he lets himself tuck into his food. Slightly too sweet for his liking but, it’ll do, it’s food. “Can’t say where you’re from, what you do, stalk me like some pervert… It’s just annoying.”

That causes another laugh to ring out. What is this guy? The personification of the sun, the more he smiles and laughs, the more it feels like he’s hiding something dangerous.

“It’s my first time recruiting someone, take it easy on me, jeez kid.” The smile still doesn’t leave his face. “Technically I’m not really supposed to be but they like me, I’m really smart and moving up fast. Plus, I wasn’t lying when I said you’re exactly what they like as trainees. It’s not easy, I won’t pretend it is but it’d give you a reason to live for and a chance to make something of yourself.”

The longer he talks, the more he wants to believe him. If he really wanted to kidnap him, he could’ve just pulled a knife on him and told him he’s coming with him. Instead the guy rearranges his legs until both are bent up, one sitting under the other as though he’s making himself comfortable. He’s too strange to just be some thug recruiter, pervert or thief. He seems genuine somehow. People have tried to reach out and help him before but there’s no pity coming from August as far as he can tell.

“How’d you do at school?” The subject change is completely out of the blue.

“Good. It was all easy.” That’s one thing he does miss.

“Did you like it?”

“Sure.” Nothing stops him from going to the library to keep up learning, but another group of kids have learnt to use it as a shelter on rainy days and he can’t be bothered with them. “I guess.”

“Well then, you’re gunna love some of the things you’d learn if you came with me then.” He just shrugs, taking another mouthful and waiting for him to continue. “Languages, computers and data gathering, fighting, chemistry and sciences if you’re good at that, first aid... There’s so much.”

August’s eyes seem to shine when he mentions chemistry, something about him is strangely simple to read, even though it’s clear he’s nowhere near as simple as he claims to be.

“So if I went with you I’d get to learn, I’d get shelter and I’d get a job.” It still sounds too good to be true. He may have admitted it won’t be easy but no way of someone like himself attaining those things is. “You’re lying or there’s some catch.”

Again a contemplative expression takes over his face. Reaching to his wrists he pulls up the sleeves of his shirt above his elbows. It’s a too warm for such long layers in the first place which is another thing that’s weird about him but as the fabric uncovers surprisingly muscular forearms, it also uncovers scars. Not too many, some faint but some more striking, leading back up to the skin still covered by fabric.

“It’s really hard at first. Your first three years would be the worst, training can get bad.” The smile is gone from his face as August’s purple eyes stare back into his own. “But after they trust you to go out and work, you can do what you want between jobs, you get paid pretty well, they always make sure you’ve got somewhere to crash and food and clothes. You remind me a bit of myself, I had nothing too and when I got offered to join I thought he had to be lying. No one just comes up to people like us and tells you they have a way of saving you unless they’re naïve or a liar, right?”

Right. Now that he’s dropped the smiles and is laying himself bare, it’s getting harder not to take what he’s saying at face value.

“So I kept telling him to get lost” August does a little nostalgic chuckle. “I’d learnt that you can’t really trust anyone but he kept coming to back and eventually I figured I was either going to end up like the old people you see still living on the streets or I could take my chances that he was telling the truth. You can guess which I went with. If I could save every kid I saw out here I would but most wouldn’t make it and that’d be meaner than not giving them a chance at all. You would, I’m sure of it and because of that, I don’t want you to let this chance go. I want you to have a chance to live and find out what you’re capable of.”

Silence falls between them and somehow he can’t bring himself to think that he’s lying. There’s a pull, both towards this guy and towards what he’s offering. The chance, despite the clear hardship he’ll have to face to earn the right to live like August is, is too good to just turn down. Even if he is lying. What’s he got to look forward to out here? Working his way up through the rungs of a gang, until he’s exploiting kids not much older than he is right now to get them to run drugs and do their dirty work? That’s not really something to live for, not like whatever August is talking about.

“And what are you getting out of this except feeling like you’ve done a something good?” Because there has to be some selfish reason at play here.

“A family.” He says, smile returning to his face.

“What they’re holding your family hostage until you bring them new kids or something?” It doesn’t make sense given what he’s been saying about his life. “I thought you said you’d been homeless and alone too.”

“Oh! No nothing like that. That was true, that was true.” He laughs, before holding out a hand. Calluses form a rough ridge at the base of August’s fingers as he stares down at it. “I was meaning you could be my family.”

Changing his gaze from his hand to August’s face it’s his turn to laugh. Short and sharp.

“Sounds stupid.” But he’s already made up his mind. Even if his body is found bleeding out on the side of the street a couple of days from now, he’s probably never going to get a chance like this again. It’s a risk but no matter what option he takes in the future to get himself off the streets will be, he doesn’t live in a world with much certainty or safety. “But whatever. I’ll believe you.”

Wiping the crumbs off his fingers he reaches out to take his hand. Grip firm, August beams as he shakes his hand, before pulling him into a tight hug. This guy’s personality might be harder to survive than whatever the training he’ll have to get through entails.

“Get off me before I regret saying that.” He mutters, not admitting that in a way, the hug is actually kind of welcome.

“Sorry, sorry~ I just got really excited!” Idiot, he’s right back to that far too cheery and smiley way he’d had when he’d first called out to him. “Let’s get your stuff packed up and go back to where I’m staying. I’ll cook you a proper meal.”


End file.
